A systematic approach to learning embedded development through educational games and developer tools on constrained hardware.
This project documents my journey from software development to embedded systems, focusing on:
- Educational game mechanics optimized for constrained hardware environments
- Developer productivity tools that work in offline-first, resource-limited contexts
- Systematic development methodology for embedded systems programming
- Hardware-software integration with emphasis on user experience and efficiency
- ESP32-S3 dual-core MCU - Modern platform with excellent community support and learning resources
- 240x135 color display - Perfect balance of capability and constraint for retro-style interfaces
- Battery-powered design - Exploring portable development platforms and power optimization
- GPIO expansion - Flexible input/output for various interaction patterns
- PlatformIO environment - Industry-standard toolchain for professional embedded development
- Custom graphics engine - Learning graphics programming fundamentals within memory constraints
- Educational game design - Making complex concepts accessible through interactive mechanics
- Offline-first architecture - Building tools that work regardless of connectivity
Developing games that teach complex concepts through interactive play:
- Probability and statistical mechanics visualization
- Constraint-based problem solving
- Systematic thinking and optimization patterns
- Progressive complexity learning paths
Building productivity utilities for embedded development:
- Code analysis and debugging aids
- Performance profiling and optimization tools
- Interactive development utilities
- Systematic testing frameworks
Exploring efficient embedded development patterns:
- Memory management and optimization techniques
- Power consumption analysis and improvement
- Real-time graphics and user interface design
- Hardware abstraction and driver development
This repository serves as both a learning project and educational resource:
- Systematic methodology - Documenting approaches that work for embedded development
- Technical decision rationale - Why specific choices were made and lessons learned
- Performance analysis - Measuring and optimizing for constrained environments
- Community contribution - Sharing knowledge and tools that benefit other learners
- Progressive complexity - Building understanding through layered learning
- Interactive feedback - Immediate response to user actions and decisions
- Systematic documentation - Every component explained for others to learn from
- Community focus - Building tools and content that benefit the broader developer community
- Constraint-driven design - Embracing hardware limitations as creative challenges
- Performance optimization - Systematic approach to efficiency and responsiveness
- Code quality - Professional development practices in embedded contexts
- Testing methodology - Systematic validation of hardware-software integration
This project is designed to benefit the broader embedded development community:
- Open source - MIT license welcoming contributions and modifications
- Educational content - Tutorials and documentation for others entering embedded development
- Transferable methodology - Systematic approaches applicable to various embedded platforms
- Tool ecosystem - Utilities and games that work across similar hardware configurations
Through this project, I'm systematically developing:
- Embedded C++ programming and optimization
- Real-time graphics and game engine development
- Hardware integration and driver development
- Power management and efficiency optimization
- Educational game mechanics that teach through play
- User interface design for constrained displays
- Progressive complexity in learning experiences
- Accessibility in resource-limited environments
- Technical documentation and systematic explanation
- Open source contribution and community engagement
- Project management across hardware and software domains
- Quality assurance in embedded environments
- PlatformIO development environment
- ESP32-S3 development board
- 240x135 TFT display (ST7789 compatible)
- Basic electronics components (buttons, resistors, breadboard)
# Clone repository
git clone [repository-url]
cd embedded-game-dev-learning
# Install dependencies
pio lib install
# Build and upload
pio run --target uploadDetailed setup guides and hardware assembly instructions available in the /docs directory.
- Phase 1: Hardware integration and basic graphics (2 weeks)
- Phase 2: Educational game development and mechanics (2 weeks)
- Phase 3: Developer tool creation and optimization (2 weeks)
- Phase 4: Documentation, testing, and community contribution (2 weeks)
This project demonstrates several key principles:
- Systematic learning - Structured approach to acquiring new technical skills
- Educational focus - Making complex concepts accessible through interactive design
- Community benefit - Building tools and knowledge that help others
- Professional development - Documenting growth and technical decision-making
- Open source contribution - Sharing methodology and tools with the broader community
/docs/learning-notes/- Daily learning documentation and insights/docs/setup-guides/- Hardware assembly and software configuration/docs/troubleshooting/- Common issues and systematic solutions/hardware/- Schematics, component lists, and assembly guides/games/- Educational game implementations and design documentation/tools/- Developer productivity utilities and usage guides
Status: Active learning project
License: MIT - Open for community contribution and modification
Focus: Educational embedded development with systematic documentation
Goal: Build practical skills while contributing valuable resources to the embedded development community
Documenting the systematic journey from software development to embedded systems engineering.